Kelsey’s heart pounded as her gaze snapped from the weapon to Sal’s face, his expression ruthless in the pouring rain.
“You couldn’t mind your own fucking business, could you, compadre?” Water dripped from the brim of Sal’s hat as he narrowed his gaze. “I convinced El Torero and Gordo to give you a warning. A chance to walk away.” Sal spit on the ground but kept his eyes on Kade.
Kade pushed Kelsey partially behind him. “Just walk away from Kelsey.” His voice was as hard and cold as steel. “You and I will deal with this.”
“Too late. The man wants the both of you taken to him.” Sal pulled Kade’s cell phone out of his back pocket. “You’re going to visit El Torero now.”
Kelsey’s gaze darted from Sal to Kade and back, her heart pounding. What could she do to help Kade? To help them both?
“Drop your weapon, then hands up, palms facing me.” Sal stepped closer. Pressed his handgun against Kade’s temple.
Kade’s Glock dropped from his fingers and spattered the mud at their feet. Slowly Kade raised his hands as Sal kicked the weapon aside, hard enough that it landed at least ten feet away.
“Don’t move while I make this call, or you’re dead.” His cold gaze cut to Kelsey. “You run off and I’ll shoot him.”
Raw terror filled Kelsey while Sal punched buttons on the weatherproof phone, the electronic sound surreal in the pouring rain. In the distance, somewhere behind them, men shouted in Spanish.
She struggled to calm the fear raging within. How were they going to get out of this? If only Kade had his handgun.
His second handgun.
Slowly Kelsey raised her left hand that was hidden behind Kade’s back. He stiffened as her hand moved under his overshirt. She kept her eyes focused on Sal. The man spoke rapid-fire Spanish into the phone, but it was so low and unintelligible that she wondered if even Kade could make out the words.
Her fingers eased over the rough texture of his denim jeans and then met cold metal above the waistband. She withdrew the weapon, afraid that Sal would hear the sound of the gun moving across cloth. But with the rain pouring down she knew she really didn’t have anything to worry about.
She kept her eyes focused on Sal’s, using every bit of her journalism skills to school her expression.
Her hand shook as she pushed up her baggy T-shirt and slid the handgun into her left front pocket. She prayed her shirt was loose enough that Sal wouldn’t notice the bulge, especially with the rain making her T-shirt cling to her skin.
The front of her shirt dropped down just as Sal punched off the phone. “Let’s go. But first I’ve got to pat you down, compadre.”
Kelsey froze.
“I don’t have anything else.” Kade’s tone was so calm and natural, not betraying any kind of concern. “Lost my backup when I slid down the dam.”
“Bullshit.” Sal gestured for Kade to turn around. “Keep your hands up. I’ll shoot your woman. You know I will, Owen.”
“You can see I’m covered in mud from when I fell.” Kade turned in a slow movement.
As Sal patted him down, Kade stared at Kelsey, asking her with his eyes what she’d done with his handgun. She glanced at her pocket and he gave her a grim smile.
“Not even a knife.” Sal stared at Kade when he turned around and met Sal’s gaze. “I’ll follow you to your truck and you’ll drive. I’m parked by you.”
“Tell me why you’re doing this.” Kade turned and lowered his hands.
“Don’t fuck with me, Owen. Keep your hands up.” Sal aimed his handgun at Kelsey’s forehead and she swallowed. “Money. What else? Shit, man, I’ll never get rich working for the government. I’ve already made more cash in the past few months than I could in an entire year as an agent.”
“You’ve been tipping off the bastards.” Kade raised his hands again. “You gave them the names of my contacts. My family. Kelsey.” Sal’s dark eyes flashed and he nodded toward the dam. “Let’s go.”
“You’d be one of the last people I’d ever think would turn.” Kade worked his jaw as he stepped forward.
“That’s your biggest weakness.” Sal grinned. “You’re too damn trusting.”
Before Kelsey could even grasp what was happening, Kade swung his right leg around and kicked the handgun out of Sal’s grasp. The man howled and cradled his hand. Kade caught his balance on his left foot and then shot his right foot toward Sal, plowing his boot squarely into the man’s midsection.
Air whooshed from Sal’s lungs. He doubled over and dropped to his knees. Kade swung his foot again, connecting with Sal’s head. The man fell to his side and lay still.
Kelsey dove for Sal’s handgun where it had landed on a patch of wet grass. Her hands shook as she scooped it up and handed it to Kade.
Men’s voices were approaching.
Holding Sal’s weapon in one hand, Kade grabbed Kelsey’s hand and pulled her through the windbreak with him.
“Damn,” Kade muttered. “There’s only one way we can get out of here now.”
“How?” But even as she asked, horror slammed into Kelsey and she started to shake. She tried to stop running, but Kade pulled her forward until they burst through the trees, straight toward his plane.
“There’s no way. I can’t.” Every part of her quivered as Kade yanked open the cockpit door. Flashes of flames and her sister’s dead face filled her head.
Shouts erupted from behind them. She didn’t have a choice.
It took everything she had to force herself to climb into the plane, knowing that this time they would be flying, not making love.
Kade helped her up and then dropped Sal’s handgun between the seats. “Everything’ll be okay.”
Somehow she managed to get into the copilot’s seat and buckled in. She shook so hard her teeth chattered. Clenching her eyes shut, she tried to fight the horrific images in her mind.
The engine roared to life, and she felt the movement of the plane as Kade guided it down the muddy runway.
OhGodohGodohGodohGod. Naya’s voice rang in Kelsey’s mind and she gripped her seat cushion so tightly her hands ached. Flashes of the plane crash erupted in her mind, and she could barely keep from screaming in terror.
“Keep your head low.” Kade’s voice was tight. “They’re at the end of the runway.”
She forced herself to open her eyes and saw his clenched jaw, his hands taut on the steering column. His normally tan skin was pale, the wound to his forehead vivid red. Mud and water dripped from his clothing onto his seat and the floor.
Kelsey looked out the window and choked back a cry as the men came into view and the plane began to lift from the ground. Both men aimed guns at the cockpit.
Glass cracked as a bullet hit the windshield. She screamed as another zinged by her ear. She heard the ping of more bullets against metal as the plane rose higher. Then nothing but the sound of the engine and blood roaring in her ears.
“We’re okay.” Kade reached over and squeezed her hand. Then he glanced at the gauges and cursed, his features growing tighter, more concerned than even before.
“What’s wrong?” Kelsey’s voice was barely a croak.
He gave her a sharp look. “We’ll be fine. It just means that we need to head to the closest airport.”
More panic gripped Kelsey. “What happened?”
Kade blew out a harsh breath. “They put a bullet in the gas tank. Rather than chance going over the mountains to Bisbee, we’ll land at the airport outside of Douglas, by the prison.”
Rivulets of water streamed down Kelsey’s face and her wet clothes clung to her body. His handgun dug into her hip, but she couldn’t pry her fingers from the seat cushion to take it out of her pocket. He radioed ahead and she berated herself for putting him in such danger by not getting away from the ranch as she’d promised.
When he approached the field by the prison, an air traffic controller informed him that for security reasons they wouldn’t be allowed to land and would have to go to the airport in Douglas. Kade argued that it was an emergency, but the controller insisted he take the plane to the next airport and that it would be prepared for the landing.
“What the hell?” he muttered. He cut a look to Kelsey and managed a small smile. “It’s a slow leak. We’ll make it.”
She tore her gaze from Kade’s and closed her eyes.
And prayed.